Ahhh Pesach, the chag that unites us in the recount of the heroic story of the Exodus from slavery in Egypt … we recognise this, we salute this …

and yet it’s such a busy time with concentrated preparation … it can be a little overwhelming. Enter Kosher KApers – Pesach Edition! We hope that in some small way the information below helps to alleviate that feeling just a little...

Solomon’s
There are so many kosher-le-Pesach KA-certified products on offer from Solomon’s … it’s hard to know where to begin! In many instances, within our Pesach Guide, there are many categories exclusively featuring Solomon’s products. We would wager that every Pesach pantry in the land relies on Solomon’s for many core ingredients! Solomon’s Matzo Meal comes in three varieties: Coarse, Fine and Superfine, each of which is freshly crushed and packed locally. Ron Saltoon adds, “Solomon’s has been established for 125 years and is proudly Australian-owned. We try to support local products as much as possible and we are delighted to once again offer the community an extensive and varied range including potato flour; cottonseed oil; spices; fine ground coconut; crushed chilli, garlic and ginger; nuts; prunes; vinegar and so much more.” To view Pesach items available from Solomon’s, visit their website, www.r-solomons.com.au. Kosher consumers can find these products at Grandma Moses; Krinsky’s; IGA supermarkets located at Pagewood; Rose Bay and St. Ives, or on-line at My Kosher Store (www.mykosherstore.com).

Pesach Orders
Make no mistake, preparing for Pesach is always a monumental task. We all feel this in Sydney … and yet we are so fortunate here to have the option of ordering from three fabulous kosher-le-pesach selections. In fact, not only can you place your order, we love that the caterers below warmly invite kosher consumers to liaise with them directly for assistance and advice with Pesach menu planning.

Lewis’ Continental Kitchen has been loyally serving the community for 42 years and their Pesach menu is full of delicious options. We love that their tag-line is ‘Making Pesach Food Great’ – this is certainly achieved! Simply visit the Lewis’ website, www.lewiskosher.com to view their on-line Pesach menu or call 02 9365 5421. For collection on Sunday March 24th, orders must be placed by 12pm Wednesday March 20th and final orders picked up erev Pesach, Monday March 25th, must be placed by 12pm Thursday March 21st. Please note that on erev Pesach, Lewis’ opens for collection at 6am and closes at 2pm.

Grunfeld’s Catering offers traditional, heimishe Pesach staples for the Seder plate and beyond, with the added bonus of convenient home delivery. Kosher consumers are invited to view the menu on-line at www.grunfelds.com.au or call 02 9327 6468 and orders must be placed by 4pm Thursday March 21st. Once again, the community can rely on Passion8 Catering for wonderful Pesach fare. The Passion8 team looks forward to being part of ‘Your Seder Table’ and we know guests will love their innovative selection from enticing entrées to divine desserts. All are welcome to download a Pesach menu and order form from the Passion8 website, www.passion8catering.com.au. Don’t delay; orders must be placed by 12pm Monday March 18th.

Chol Ha-moed Opening Hours
You have communicated to us that you would love to know which kosher establishments around town are open over Pesach. We are pleased to advise that Grandma Moses will be open 10am to 2pm over the following chol ha-moed days: March 28th; 29th and 31st. In addition to kosher-le-Pesach products, Lawrence Hoffman advises, “We are so pleased to offer the community a selection of fresh salads, eggs and coffee over these intermediate days of the festival.” Krinsky’s is also conveniently open over chol ha-moed – on Thursday March 28th opening hours are 8am to 8pm; and on both March 29th and March 31st, opening hours will be 8am to 3pm. Finally, our local kosher butcher, Eilat at Hadassah, located at 17 O’Brien Street, Bondi, will be open on Thursday March 28th from 6am to 6pm and on Sunday March 31st from 6am to 1pm.

My Kosher Store
In addition to the kosher shops and supermarkets around town, consumers have the added convenience of shopping for Pesach on-line at My Kosher Store, www.mykosherstore.com.au – orders can be placed right up until Sunday March 24th. Owner Heath Baum advises, “At that stage, stock will be limited so we encourage all to contact us as early as possible. We offer free delivery to the north shore on Thursday March 21st and for the east and south-eastern suburbs of Sydney, on-going free delivery is available.”

Oat Matzot
Don’t forget to pre-order Gluten-free Oat Matzot if needed (consult your medical practitioner for specific advice). Simply call our KA hotline 1300-KASHRUT (02 9365 2933) by March 20th. We know your Pesach To-Do list is a mile long, we kindly request that you please not leave this to the last minute as we can’t guarantee stock.

Jewish House Passover Food Drive
Here at the KA, we believe in helping people-in-need and always have chessed at the forefront of our collective KA Team consciousness. In this spirit, we fully support the Jewish House Passover Food Drive and encourage kosher consumers to purchase an extra non-perishable product (or products) while shopping at Coles supermarkets around town. Simply, place the kosher le Pesach food into the designated box at the checkout, each product significantly helps those who are struggling.

Harkham Wine Event
Harkham’s award-winning kosher-le-Pesach and preservative-free wines, including the fabulous Aziza’s Shiraz and Aziza’s Chardonnay 2011, will be available for sampling this Sunday evening, March 17th at the free Harkham Wine Event at Central Synagogue. Enjoy canapés, light refreshments and the unique opportunity to purchase these Hunter Valley wines that are undoubtedly the highest quality. Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success – a testament to the passion exhibited by the Harkham family and of course, attributed to the extraordinary KA certified kosher wines on offer.

Kosher consumers should note that the printed version of our 5773-2013 Pesach Guide is now widely available at kosher stores around town including Grandma Moses; Krinsky’s; Glicks and Eilat at Hadassah. Of course, it is also easily accessible at our website, www.ka.org.au or via our iPhone App., KA iKosher. This year, over chol ha-moed Pesach, our office will be open 9am to 1pm. We have loved answering your pre-Pesach questions via our Facebook Group, which now has 1260 valued members and continues to operate day and night! If you have any last minute halachic Shaalot, you are welcome to SMS Rabbi Gutnick on 0411 757 372 or Rabbi Groner on 0414 806 723.